Ask your children what they’d like to be when they grow up and they’ll list all the fantastical ways they plan to spend their days, enjoying adult life to the fullest.
Young children spend their entire primary school career using their imagination.
Then their free time after school pursuing activities they enjoy. Music lessons, football, drawing, dancing, climbing, even the dreaded karate (you know how I feel about bare feet on the local church hall floor) *shudders*.
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By the time we reach high school age, our priorities shift dramatically from focusing on what we actually enjoy spending our time doing, to the sole purpose of “fitting in”. Aligning with your teenage peers is a full time job, which includes relinquishing your identity.
Hanging on to any creative past times beyond this point takes determination and a self assuredness the majority of us simply don’t possess. If you’re not a master of your art by age 13, society encourages you to abandon it all together, because you likely never will be.
Those of us who are strong enough to cling onto our creativity right through to higher education, come up against real resistance! Well meaning family members will regularly dish out well meaning advice about how to pick a “serious course”, or get a “REAL job.” And by the time we’re making the transition into adulthood, our sole purpose becomes productivity. If you’re not making money from your art by then, you’d better just forget it, and focus on paying those bills.
Brene Brown, a researcher and author who has dedicated her life to exploring shame, vulnerability and leadership, concludes that there is no such thing as uncreative people. Just people who use their creativity and people who don’t. We live in a society that views creativity as self indulgent and non productive, so it's easy to see where our dreams get lost. But her work goes on to explore the dangers associated with stifling your creativity and the price you eventually pay.
Her most powerful quotes, in my humble opinion are, “The only unique contribution you will make in this world, will be born of creativity.” And “Your creativity is the way you share your soul with the world.”
Brene warns that failing to express our creativity breads resentment, grief and eventually heartbreak. Those of us that don’t make, can only consume. Do you really believe that you were given your one and only life, not to take part in the universe? That the only reason you’re here is to subscribe and buy and watch other people, no more talented than you, explore their potential?
But how can we feel safe enough to put our creativity out into this salty society? People don’t put their art into the world because they fear they’ll be mocked. The sad fact is, if you put your work out into the world you are going to get taken down. There’s no way around it. But you shouldn’t let that stop you!
Criticism is a small price to pay for being whole. For living a full life and allowing the stories that live inside you permission to dance. The world needs to see your macrame/pottery/baking/jewellery/writing/drawings/photography/t-shirts/dance routines etc.
The most fulfilling thing you may ever do is push yourself beyond your fear of standing out. Because it’s likely that the people who appreciate your art won’t be your inner circle. It will be beautiful strangers who make you feel appreciated and drive you forwards. Your new, bolder, more interesting friends.
Ask yourself, if you absolutely couldn’t fail and success was 100% guaranteed, what would you be doing now?
The amazing internet has allowed people to monetise their creativity. And that seems to be the bone of contention. You’re welcome to share your art with us for free but the exchange of money is the point at which you’ll anger people. Where you meet them at their own hesitation to create, and it burns. But why shouldn’t you be able to pay your bills and buy food for your kids? You’ve got to just shake it off and keep going.
Logically, we can all understand the importance of play… remember adult colouring books?! Even if your art doesn’t bring an income, exploring your creativity could help you manage your anxiety and stress levels. Even if you’re not ready to share your art with the world, ensure you carve out some time to do what you were born to do. Just for the fun of it.
Normalise starting ballet lessons at 30 and learning piano at 50. There is so much more to this life than just making money and losing weight.
We all judge ourselves from the belief that we’re not enough. Not creative enough, not good enough, not talented enough, not brave enough, not well connected enough, not hard working enough, or not productive enough. But the reality is, we all deserve to live wholeheartedly, feel worthy and fulfilled.
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